This invention relates to a fuse incorporated in an electric circuit in an automobile or the like so as to prevent an excess current from continuing to flow in the event of an abnormal condition such as a short-circuit, and the invention also relates to a method of mounting such a fuse.
Conventionally, a fuse, incorporated in an electric circuit, has a capacity corresponding to an allowable current of a load, and when the user adds a new load, or exchanges the load with a different load, it is necessary to add a new fuse so as to protect the circuit.
For example, in an electric system of an automobile, electric loads, such as a radio, a television set, a car navigation device and a clock, are connected in a parallel manner to a power source via a junction box containing fuses. The maker uses appropriate fuses corresponding to these loads associated with the electric system of the automobile.
When the user adds a new electric part, or exchanges the electric part with a new electric part of a smaller load, it is necessary to mount another fuse at its electric circuit. For example, when exchanging the electric part with a new electric part having a better performance and a smaller load, a wire of a circuit to be taken out is branched by the use of a branch wire excess current protection device as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 1-134935, and by doing so, the new electric part of a smaller load can be easily connected to this branch circuit.
However, when exchanging the electric part with the new electric part by the use of the above branch wire excess current protection device, the existing circuit, from which the new circuit branches off, becomes useless. If the existing circuit is used, a new fuse must be mounted at an intermediate portion of the existing circuit.
When the user adds a new electric part, another fuse must be mounted at the circuit.
However, in order to mount the fuse at an intermediate portion of the existing circuit, there is required an operation in which a wire is cut or severed, and its sheath is peeled, and a metal terminal is clamped to a conductor of the wire, and then this terminal is connected to a fuse body within a fuse holder. The fuse-mounting operation is cumbersome, and the conventional fuse holder is inferior in the efficiency of the operation.